Cup-dispensing machine



April l0, 1928. 1,666,008

- F. GRAFFENBERGER CUP DISPENSING MACHINE Filed oct. e. 1926 z sneets-sheee Patented Apr. v10,

Ken LACE, 'rar Wisconsin,

'our-DfisPENsING MACHINE.

"Application fried october e, 192e. serial No.2 139,793.'

\ This invention relates to dispensingmeans and more particularly to a cup dispensing machine. My invention is intended foriuse in dispensingV cups which are disposed in stacks and `in nested. relation; It am iaivarethat numerous 'machines forI dispensingjcups' arranged in stack and nested relation-have been used, but the machines 4of thislcharacter v l porting and separating the cups or, in some cases, pivoted latchesor equivalent mem-v F bers for this purpose.'` As a generalnrule f the construction ofthe dispensing mechanism is complicated and expensive andv involves an unnecessary number of parts, sothat the likelihood of` bindingor disarrangementl of parts is always tov befeared..z Aside-from.

thefobjections notedthereis, necessarily, a veryv appreciable expense 2 incurred. in the accurate fitting4 and machining bof the vva` rious parts, renderiiig :the 'cost ofthe completed' machine excessive, which Anecessarily results Yin its .use being restricted.

`.In mymachine I Vavoid the, numerous obl, je'ctions above noted regardingthe machines ofthisgeneral typeinowin'vcommon use reducingfthe number of movable parts `to'a minimum` and `having such parts sol constructed and `,related as-:toeliminatei all a probability of t binding orfinaccuraciesvin operation ofthe-dispensing!mechanism; I-

also provide my dispensingmachine ywith a receiving elementA so disposed vasto; re-` ceive .cups dischargedl vertically from the machine, Ythiselenient beingso arranged as to permit ready removal'y ofthe cups' by slight distortion thereof. Injconstructing my machine I have-takeny care-tofhaveall surfacesof the'dispensing mechanism: so,

" constructedr as'lto enable4 the Samet-o `be readily formed Without .the ynecessity of absolute accuracy and carefuly machiningl of4 the parts, the cup supportinglmembers and the cup' separating Imembersl being.;spaced an appreciable distance". apart to 'f facilitate`v and insuie'fi'eady .and a'ccuraterdischarge of the cups.V` lpear from the detail description.'

Figure l is a central vertical ysectional "linesQf-Q of Fig.1;-: e .f 1 i taken substantiallyyon "portion of the' slide. w

Further objects ofj-myinvention. vvilliap cup dispensing machine constructed iny ac- "rRIEDRICrrcriteri?Eivisniacuia,l or" MVILWAUK; Wisconsin, issrGivon'roaiILvvu-- i i n1 ooi/refinar, or MILWAUKEE, W1sooNs1'N,..A CORPORATION* or corda-nce c with myg' invention taken from y f front to back' of thedispensing mechanism; Fig. 2 is a section taken `ysubstantiallyaon Fig. 3jis ka section line ,3 3 of'Fig.y l; i i Y, i .i i.

Fig. 4 is .an underneath view, partly `in section; i A f Fig. 5 isa section taken `substantially on line 5--5 of Fig.V` l;

`F'g.,6 is an inner. of theslide;

face. View. of .one armA `Fig. `7 -is `a `diagrammatic .vievv showing y the position ofthe primary cup supporting" members When vthesli'de isin itsl-outer'or-A normal position; and n y Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic"vieivshowing j,

the position ojffthe cup' separator andsec.` ondary supporting members (When the: slide` is' ink its inner' position, thisl view being' con-i sidered as looking toward the outer` orbight 'U The machine includesa l defining a dispensing opening. y15x-rectangularfflange 2 extends frointhe lowererid lof,

the neck? and an.y outlet member. extendsv'from this flange, the outlet member forming,

in eifect,1a` continuation of neck v1;and'.'de iningtherevviththe dispensing and outlet` opening of the machine.` Plate 2 formsV the base upon which is secured a'cover `iri'emberil having a depending peripheral flange" or Wallrv and providedv vat 'eachgouter" cornery withr a boss'GA which! is bored Aand ythreaded` forfreceptioiil lof, securing' screwsA 7 'passing through suitable openings provided-.vinbasey plate 2.,; Wall 5l of the*cover-member a :ism

Widenedat the inner ,end'there'of to'provide a securingiange `5a Whic'liis provided withk openings' ieceivingf'lugs f 'extendingr rear? Wardly from Vbase -plate 'Qiat leachl rearivar'd cylindrical side Walls? ofwcover member 4 to'piovide"earsj 5? having opening 55 fornreceptionf of fsecu-rl ingv screws' by means@ of v'vvhicl'i :the machine can be readily 'secured toa suitable support.

Thecover is further provided With upwardf i v. lyjextending fingersu Whicharedisposedinf f r circular arrangement and snugly receive the lower'portion of an elongated cylindrical cover or container 9 of glass or other suitable material. The container 9 seats'upon the upperrnd 'of neckx 1, the innerperipheral surface of the container being ush with the inner peripheral,surface of the neck so as to (form a continuation thereot. The cups C to'be dispensed are arranged within the container 9 in a stack and in nested relation. The cups employed are preferably constructed in accordance with the `cupedisclosed in the patent to Ernest R. Huntley ior paper vcup, INo. 1,497,755 issued June 17, .1924, though any L:other suitable or preferred 'torni of paper cup maybe employed. Cup C-is provided at its upper' endfwith-an outwardly turned bead or 'shoulder c* of appreciable thickness or height and the body of the (iup is olt" `frusto-conical shape' being;- inverted or tapering downwardly when the cupsarei supported in the container. The dispensing` mechanism which I employ is so constructed as to'readily enter betweenthe flanges of two adjacent cups lwhen these flanges are disposedclosely adjacent or in contact with each other. I consider' this an importantl feature oie-'my invention permitting` the cups to be nested with the `flanges evthereofv in contact with `eaclrother.` By this arrangement it is possibleto include in asingleist'ack amuch larger `number of cups than'can be done when the cups'ai'e stacked in-t'heJordi-nary` manner now necessaryl in machines aty present commonly "used, in

whichy machines the `cups are so stacked or arranged that the upper endsoi" thecups are spaced a very appreciable distance apartto permit operation 'otthe'separatihg and dispensing. mechanism. lVith the separating and'v dispensing-mechanism which I employ this objection is avoided and a very consider'-v able Isavin'gin space necessary to acconnnodate a stack of cups is effected, which lis'an important consideration. f'

' The base platel2rand the cover member l cooperate to form a housing for reception' of a U'shaped slide `10 which is slidably mount# ed `on"-t'l1e f'upper face of'base plate 2 and confined between this plate and the top 'wall of the cover'so as to be held thereby against all vertical `looseness or play. The arms y11 of this slide are vconfined between the outer flat-surfaces of flattened side portions-1n of neck 1 and-the side wall 5 of cover member 4.' The-cover member and the plate thus 'co-v operate with each other and with the neck to form .guideways for-'the slide andthe arms" thereof and eilectually. prevent looseness or play ofthe slides VVThis is animport-ant fea'- ture inthe construction of my machine as it insures accuracy in operation of the slide and'proper entry of the cup lseparating and dispensing'means between the flanges-of the cups irenderingitf possible to stack the vcups with their' 'ianges c'iclosely adjacent andin contact With each other, as above noted. The front wall 5 also acts as a stop element to limit outward movement ofthe slide 10 which is urged outwardly by an expansion coil spring` 12 seated at its inner end in a recess 13 provided inneck 1.. .The outer 'portion of spring` 1:2isY rseated ina" hollow stud 141 evtendinpl from 'the center of the vbight portion 1150i slide l() yand operatingv through an opening provided through wall 5..fat'r15f"Villienithe slide 1() is in its outer position, the inner ends ot arms' 11 are spaced away trom wall a'oi the housing, this distance being sutlicient to'permit'inward movement of the slide into position to bring,` the biglitportion l210t thereot'vinto con-` ber- 17 is provided with a double point radius i inner portion 171,'the 'apex ot' which is dis posed abovezand'remoteronrtheouter end offmember 16. It will also 'benotedthat member '17 is` ot much greater width ver ltically than member :16, member 16 having its lower or under'face' in`theplanefot'the under'face oi .theyv body portiono'lmember 17. The members116 andfl project*J inwardly oit the neck 1, the-flattened portions 1n of' which 'areprovided wit'h slots 1bt to accommodate such members. Normally, 'the slide 10 is held'infits routerl or projected position, at 'which time the fprim'ary cup supporting' members 16 are disposed-to .project through slotll into the neck opening' at diametrically opposite'sidestheroiv 'W'ith the slide 10 .in ,this position, thexprima'ry supphrting members 16ji"eXtendibeneath the flange'A c ofthe lowermoist 'ic'up oli-"the :stack ot cups' C, as illustrated lin`-Figs 1A and?, thus supporting' 'the stack within -the con- The vdistance, betweenl the apex of wedge element 17a and the'upper` taceot the primary' `supportingmember 16,'

tainer` or cover "9.

porting 1iiei`nber16y 'is relatively greatv and isY sulicient, in view of the inclination off-the upper `face of Aportion 17a, to insure that the lowermost cup detachedtrom the stack will be tree from, members so as rto-:be da iis charged through fthe vneck: and Vthe .ontlet member 3 at about'the time tl'iatthe'- inner z portion 17a: has entered fully ybetween the l twolower cups vofthestack. Astheslideis l 'arranged `,in yaystack in1 nestedrelation, a

forcedinwardly the inner portion 17?r enters y betweeny the two :cups Slightly raising the ,l stack and swinging theforwardl portion of the lowermost cup' `downwardly and,y as this cu )asses off ofthemember 16 the inner i' `downwardlythru the neck and the `outlety member. Atl this time,the; stack isusup ported upon themembers 17, as illustratedin Fig. 8 and upon release lof the slide 10, it

is moved outwardly by spring 12 into fits normal inoperative position. During vthe outward movement of 't'lieslide-the meinf bers 17l are withdrawnfrom the flange or Shoulderof the 'loweiimost cupA of the rremainingv stack and the primary supporting memf tionand effecting a very `material saving in io parts and is of very simple and inexpensive. construction while operation.

being accurate in its As the slide l1() is effectually held against all looseness or play, as previously pointedA ont, and the supporting and dispensing ele-` ments are' integrally connected vwith the slide, accuracy in operation is assuredpermitting the cups to be stacked in close relathe space required for` the stack of. cups,

which is an important vconsideration in this art.

` y The outlet member is providedv with a depending'arm 18` carrying at its lower end a receiving member or collar 19 which is disposed in concentric relation tothe member '3. The upper inner portion 20 of member 19 is :flared and the'forwardl ends of vthe' arms of `this member are beveledor inclined outwardly and forwardly at 21. The cup discharged through neck 1 and outlet member l 3 is' directed into the member 19vwheie it is f support-ed by means of its shoulder c. This cup `inay be readily removed from member 19 by being raised slightly therein and then moved outwardly tl'irough the space or opening 22 between the ends of the arms of the receiving meinbei'. The flare 20 at the upper end of member 19 serves to direct the cupA into such member and thevincli'ned or beveled surfaces 21 permitl the cup to. be readily withdrawn fromthe receiving member without excessive distortion ofthe cup or danger of injury thereto.

This provides simple and` veflicient means whereby the cups, as they vare dispensed, are Areceived fand. held in position to bereadi-l-y removed fromlth'e machine.

1'. Inm'eans for 4dispensing flanged cups neck deininga dispensing opening and.v hav#r ing 'flattened land slotted side' -portions,fa j baseA plateextending from 'the' neck, a cover:

member securedto the base plate vand forming therewith a housing, al slide ,mounted on the-base-plate for `movement;toward and.` v

the side walls of the 'cover .member and away from the neck and straddling thev saine,

'the arms-of the slide being confined' between j the ,flattened side jporti'onsofthelneckand `ti()k f guided'and held against playthei'eby, meansy carried by thea-rms of theslideand oper# able through said slots for supporting a .stackv of cups when the slideyisin sits-outer position and for` releasing `theirlowermost cup of the stack` and ypermittingit tobefdis? p ensed through `the vneck when the-slide kis neck linto vits,

moved inw'ardlyi across the inner position. v2. In Vmeans neck defining a dispensing opening, a slide straddling the neck and having its outward 'movement limited,'primary cup supporting members with flat inner faces` at the inner end of the slide and disposed tovprojectinwardlyofthe neck opening when the slide I is in its outer position, and cup separating rand secondary supporting members ywith inner faces .at the outer end of the slide dis* ing when the -slide is in itsinner position', said separating and secondary supporting directed toward i thel primary supporting members and remote therefrom, the neck l having slots accommodating the primary ien posed to project inwardly of, the neck open-l.`

.members being tapered and with' their apeXes ,mg u K f cup supporting members and the separating f andfsecondary cup supportingmembers. 1

3. vIn means for dispensing iianged cups 2110, arranged in a lstack .in nested relation,"a"'

neck defining adispensing openingand havi ing flattened side portions,a base plate extending from `the neck, a cover Amember secured to the base platey and forming there'-` away from the neck and straddling the same, i

the arms of the slide being lconfined between the flattened side portions ofthe neck and the side walls of the cover member and guided and. held against lplay thereby, an'l expansion spring confined between'the neck and the bight portion ofthe slide and nor- I mally holding theslide in its outer position,

outward movement ofthe slide being limited by thecover, and means for supporting a stack of cups when the slide is in itsouter position mdV forseparating the lowermost cup from lthe stack ,and permitting fitto be,

iail

Adispensed through the neck when the slide cured to the base plate and forming there-y with a housing and guideways, a U-sliapcd slide mounted on the base plate for vmovement toward and away Afrom the neck and straddling they same, the arms of the slide operating inthe guideways and the slide being held against vertical and lateral movement by the cover and the base plate, means urging the slide outwardly vaway from the neck while permitting it to be moved iin- `wardly toward the neck, outward movement of the slide being limited by the cover, and meansA for supportinga stack ol cups when the slide is in its outer position and ior separating the lowermost cup from the stack and permitting it to be dispensed through the neck when the slideis moved to its inner position. i

5. In combination with means for disthereof, said receiving member being con@ centric With the outlet member .and having Iits upper portion flared. f

6. In combination 'with means forl dispensing 'cups vertically, ak vertically ar-' ranged outlet member disposed to .receive cups from the dispensing means, anda receiving member carried by the-'outlet member atthe lower end thereof and disposed concentricvwith the outlet member, the ends of the receiving member vbeing spaced apart a sufficient distance to permit ready Withdrawal of the cup betweenV saidv ends with but slight distortion ofthe cupV while normally retaining the cup in the receiving member, the inner faces ofthe endslo'i the receiving member being inclinedl outwardly to facilitate withdrawal of the cup.

In witness `whereof,`I hereunto subscribe my name this lst day of October, 1926.

FRIEDRICH 

